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No plan for free power to farmers or restoration of old pension scheme: Uttar Pradesh government in assembly
A discount of 88.19 % is being provided to agricultural consumers on power tariff, says Uttar Pradesh energy minister in state assembly
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday made it clear that there was no plan either for free power supply to farmers or for restoration of the old pension scheme for state government employees.
Raising the issue during question hour in the state assembly on the third day of the monsoon session, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MLA Ajay Kumar asked whether the state government would provide free electricity to farmers for operating private tubewells for irrigation in order to reduce the cost of crops and increase income of cultivators.
Replying to the question, energy minister AK Sharma said there was no plan for providing free electricity to private tube wells run by farmers. In order to reduce the cost of crops to farmers (covered by rural supply schedule), only ₹85 per horse power per month is being charged against the prevailing rates and tariff of ₹720 per horse power per month. A discount of 88.19 % is being provided to agricultural consumers on power tariff, he said.
In the financial year 2022-23, there was a provision of ₹7,097 crore for government subsidy to private tube wells (rural schedule) for farmers of the state. The state government has given power connection to 23,169 private tube wells run by the farmers from April 2022 to September 18, 2022 with the objective of providing better irrigation facilities to increase farmers’ income, he said.
Sharma also said apart from this, a total subsidy of 60% is being given by the agriculture department on the cost (30% each borne by the Centre and the state) for installation of solar pumps on tube-well connections up to 7.5 horse power.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party election’s manifesto had announced that it will give 300 units of free power to farmers and later the BJP made the same promise. At this, speaker Satish Mahana said the BJP had clarified later that its government will not give free power supply.
In a separate question, SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra asked whether the state government would consider covering the state employees and teachers appointed after the year 2004 under the old pension scheme. The Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand governments have announced to restore the old pension scheme for the employees, he said.
Finance ninister Suresh Khanna replied that a proposal for implementation of the old pension scheme is not under the consideration of the state government.
Employees who entered the service of the Central government on or after January 1, 2004 are covered by the New Pension Scheme (National Pension System). The employees appointed in the service of Uttar Pradesh government or in aided educational institutions or autonomous institutions on or after April 1,2005 are covered by the National Pension System.
Under the National Pension System (NPS) till August, 5,39,607 government employees and 3,05,333 employees of aided educational institutions and autonomous institutions have been registered. An amount of ₹25,851 crore has been credited in the Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) accounts opened under NPS of government employees till August and ₹11,771 crore in Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) accounts of employees of aided educational institutions and autonomous institutions.
The National Pension System has been brought in with the objective of maintaining a balance in the fiscal position of the government and to develop a better nation-wide old age security system not only for government employees but also for workers in the unorganised sector, workers in the organised sector and the general public, he said.
Suresh Khanna also said it is not possible to abolish the National Pension System and implement the old pension.
